Courtesy of your ever-graceful Hospitality Coordinator Claire Repsholdt:
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The New Haven Coffee Encyclopedia
In the Lutheran family that I grew up in, knowing when the next fresh cup of coffee would become available was important work. As hospitality coordinator and daughter of this Lutheran family, it is my duty to give you as much coffee information as possible (though I do not personally drink very much of it.) So here you go, folks. Just so that you may go into the wilds of the New Haven coffee scene completely informed, I present to you an alphabetical collage of BTFO coffee-blogs-past-and-present, courtesy of Ed Watson, Peter Wyrsch, and me. (And if this is just all together too much, you can find the previous posts that Peter and Ed contributed in the BTFO blog archive.)
Peter’s BTFO and Yale experience prepared him to take his combined Master’s of religion and forestry to Stephens Lab in Berkeley, CA, where he lends his critical eye to Wildfire Science. And Ed Watson you can still find among our fold, smoking his pipe on quad benches when not turning his critical eye to the pursuit of religious philosophy. Read our thoughts like a debate transcript. That’s what was going on in the first coffeehouses anyway, right?
What does coffee mean to grad school?
Peter’s Take: Last year, while preaching in Marquand, Maggie Dawn took up the peculiarly American institution of social coffee consumption for consideration. “Let’s get a coffee,” she reflected, meant more than simply, “let’s get caffeinated together.” The invitation, and indeed the coffee itself, serves as a vehicle to propel friendships and build relationships that last and have meaning well beyond the drink itself. Intellectual considerations about theologies of hospitality aside, the fact remains that there are a great many coffee shops in New Haven
Ed’s Take: Among the many questions anyone asks before going to grad school, perhaps the most important is ‘where is coffee to be found?’ We are of course fortunate to have plenteous supplies of caffeine at the Divinity School itself, provided by our incredible refectory staff. The Office of Student Affairs also hosts a “Community Coffee Hour” (for 30 minutes!) everyday (Monday through Friday) at 11am in the Common Room during the academic year. But since the cafeteria doesn’t open until the semester starts, and since it’s well worth exploring New Haven in any case, here’s a list of some of the best places to sit, relax, chat, or read whilst sipping on fine caffeinated beverages. We’ve even divided it up into patio spots perfect for socializing and the slightly more work-orientated spaces, not that the two categories are mutually exclusive! (Disclaimer: I only ever drink regular drip filtered coffee, so I can give no guidance on the quality of cappuccinos, lattes, espressos, and all that stuff. But I’m sure they’re good.)
Claire’s Take: Coffee builds community. So do we.
Peter and Ed did not take this one on.
Claire’s Take: This lovely indy bookstore/café is a must. And for the Oxonians among you, dedicated fans of the fantastic Gail’s in Jericho might be pleased to find a somewhat familiar face here. While I will personally and specifically attest that the gentle eat-in atmosphere and simple cozy menu options are a great way to ease into what becomes a very successful pseudo-first date, I think it is more than safe to say that 9/10 New Havenites agree it is a terrific way to spend a meal. Not only is it the perfect solution to the particular hunger derived from long walks around the Yale University Art Gallery and the Center for British Art, it is also a reliable place to eavesdrop on faculty types and their guests. Their cooks seem to be endlessly willing to imagine new soups and bake new European bread varieties, and when you don’t have the dollars to spend on a new book, there is always a note card set or two that will be worth your while.
Peter’s Take: Blue State has three locations in New Haven—two downtown and one by Yale New Haven Hospital. It’s a student favorite, with some very fine coffee and plenteous snacks. Each of their locations can get a bit crowded during the day, but it’s a friendly and convenient place to meet up with people or get some morning reading done. The Wall Street location in particular is an essential pit-stop if you’re taking any downtown morning classes. Blue State also provides philanthropic support to local nonprofits and advocacy organizations, including Connecticut Voices for Children, the Urban Resources Initiative, Columbus House, and CitySeed. 
Ed’s Take: If anyone ever asks to meet you at Blue State for a quick academic conversation, the immediate and necessary follow-up question ought to be, “Which one?” While each Blue State has its own distinct character. Blue State on Wall tends to have more individual seating, and serves as a prime setting for one-on-one interviews or business-like meetings. The York location is a bit smaller and cozier, but has more big tables near windows. This make it a prime location for late-night planning sessions and mid-winter meetings with an academic advisor. The outlier, at Congress Avenue by the Medical School, is little visited by the Divinity School community. In fact, it is little visited by anyone, except sleep-deprived medical students and residents. Allegedly, you can ask for your drip coffee via IV.
Claire’s Take: Blue State will prepare you for your travels all about greater Connecticut, as this location is the jumping off point for places all around the state. The vibe? A standard sort of caffeinated political science major happy place. It is guaranteed trip down memory lane for most students, I’d reckon. If you’re a greenhouse grad student who came straight from undergrad into graduate school, you’ll walk in and remember how it different it felt to be a stressed but free – so free! – undergrad. Tables are crammed with beautiful young people on phones and Tinder dates. If you’re a second career person, then you’ll probably remember how it felt to be in your first career. The rest of the tables are filled with briefcase holders in between appointments.
Peter did not take this one on.
Ed’s Take: One of the very few independent book shops left in New Haven (others including our very own Student Book Supply), The Book Trader also boasts excellent coffee, snacks, and space for both work and relaxation. Somewhat unusually among New Haven coffee shops, there’s a lot of space between seats and tables, meaning that it doesn’t feel crowded even when it’s full. And its downtown location makes it a perfect place to meet up with people during the day (perhaps to scan the shelves for a reasonably priced book or two).
Claire’s Take: The book selection is, selective, but the atmosphere is top drawer. Almost, dare I say, like the best bricky corners of Cambridge, MA?! Let it be known that very cool faculty member and wife of the Dean of Berkeley Divinity School, Felicity McGowan, buys her dairy-free chocolate cakes here.
Peter did not take this one on.
Ed’s Take: The closest of the Orange Street Markets to Downtown, Cafe Romeo has one particular secret ingredient that the others do not—pizza. Now, we’re going to have a whole separate post on the wonderful world of New Haven Pizza, but if you’re looking for a relaxed slice over coffee and conversation (as well as any of the other excellent options on their lunch menu), Cafe Romeo is the place to be. It also has free wifi, so it’s a particularly good spot for working with classmates on any presentations you might have coming up that week.
Claire’s Take: This place was suggested as a meeting place when I was heading to meet with a long time New Haven-area attorney. The diverse crowd, low lighting and easy eating makes this café feel like the family friendly version of a dive bar where everybody knows your name. Probably would be a great place to take a Tinder date on a weekday, if you wanted to play it cool. If I was writing a New Haven noir, at least two critical meeting scenes would take place here.
Peter’s Take: Rory Gilmore would probably do homework here. 
Ed’s Take: A fantastic coffee spot in its own right, Coffee Pedaler is a small, intimate space boasting some of the finest brews to be found on State Street. Apart from its clear intrinsic value, however, its location gives it a unique advantage. The Pantry on State Street is one of New Haven’s most popular breakfast spots, and rightly so (though more on that in a future post!), but this means that the line can get a bit long. Thankfully Coffee Pedaler is right across the street, meaning that if you came in a group you can get coffee for while you wait for cinnamon roll pancakes. So, a great place to spend a day in its own right, and fount of blessed sustenance whilst waiting for an excellent breakfast!
Claire’s Take: The impossibly consistent quiet atmosphere of this place makes it a good bet if you just need to flow with some reading, but seating can be tough if you don’t love shared workspace. Nevertheless, it offers arguably the most options for sustainably produced gourmet coffee and tea in town. Worth a trip if you love to think about the journey your food takes from farm to table.
Peter’s Take:The next best thing to a clean, well-lighted coffeeshop in Portland, Oregon is a clean, well-lighted coffeeshop in New Haven started by a bunch of Oregonians. East Rock Coffee sits on the corner of Cottage and Orange Streets, at the heart of the East Rock neighborhood. Popular amongst graduate and professional students, this shop distinguishes itself from the field with a unique policy on electronics: there is no wi-fi, and laptops are prohibited. If you’re looking for a quiet spot to enjoy a book and a coffee, this is your best bet.
Ed’s Take: East Rock Coffee and P+M Market are nestled next to each other on Orange Street. ERC has a strict rule against electronics inside, which goes some way to explaining why it has such a welcoming ambience, whilst their coffee beans are also reasonably priced (for those mornings where you need coffee in order to get out of bed to go get coffee). P+M meanwhile has a great variety of breakfast and lunch selections, with a spacious patio with plenty of shade for the hotter days. There are few better ways to spend a morning or an afternoon than wandering along and grabbing a seat outside with a group of friends.
Claire’s Take: This bustling happy itty bitty beating heart of a coffee shop is the center of my life in East Rock. Find me there most often, feeling a little closer to the life I could have led in the tiny places of Paris or San Francisco or other more difficult to afford grottos. (But roll the dice if you want to come here during peak weekend promenading hours).
Peter did not take this one on.
Ed’s Take: Again, this is a bit of a hidden gem. Most people know Edge of the Woods as a really rather good value grocery store, where you can get fresh vegetables etc. without completely breaking the bank. But it also has an incredible bakery where pretty much everything is gluten free, a great vegetarian lunch buffet, and bounteous coffee supplies. It’s a bit more out of the way than the other places on this list, but if you feel like getting out of the East Rock/Downtown area with a good book/friend/both (and maybe even getting some grocery shopping done to boot), this is the place.
Claire’s Take: Go to Edge of the Woods intending for a tidy little adventure of a monthly grocery trip, maybe grab a coffee if you want to linger in the fun.
Jojo’sPeter and Ed did not take this one on.
Claire’s Take: Jojo’s was my first coffee joint in New Haven, and it was a warm welcome. Notable for their wide variety of drinks – teas, lattes, bubble teas – Jojo’s has a quiet funk that sets them apart from the rest of the neighborhood coffee scene. Their ginger concoction is a doozy of a wakeup call when you’re feeling down. Just a few tables lurk inside, but very often one can be found to host a group looking to kick back for a laughing conversation. Still more, it is perfectly positioned at the heart of popular downtown streets. I think you’ll discover it to be a great stop in between stops.
Koffee? on Audubon
Peter’s Take: Need to get a lot of work done? Need a lot of caffeine while you work? Do you crave a communally agreed upon quiet atmosphere in which you can solve theological problems of Kantian proportions? Are you probably going to need a glass of wine afterwards? Go to Koffee?. Koffee? is your place. Koffee? understands.
Ed’s Take: Koffee? on Audubon is probably the quirkiest place on this list, with a wide selection of seating possibilities and quite a few board games littered across the tables. Another student favorite, it can fill up pretty quickly with students settling in for a day of paper writing—but the coffee is extremely good, their muffins are exceptionally good, and if you want to grab a glass of wine without going to a bar, their transformation into Koffee? After Dark is a lot of fun.
Claire’s Take: Become familiar with Koffee? through their frequent appearance as the caterers for Yale events—note that they provide all-compostable servingware! Head to the sit-in location when you’re seeking a high-sensory conversation experience or a creatively decorated dive into your cheerful-but-grungy coffee psyche.
Peter’s Take: I’ll be honest, this café is less about the coffee, delicious food, and fresh-made juices and smoothies, and far more about the light and airy atmosphere. Winter in New Haven can be dark and miserable. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to care for one another in times of great snow and freezing rain, Belgian comfort food and bougie smoothies can be found herein. This isn’t to downplay the coffee; they brew Counter Culture coffee, and they do it quite well. But the important part is the aesthetic. Be ready for many “hip” undergrads to saunter by, wearing American Apparel and complaining about last night’s rager. 
Ed’s Take: Another student favorite just off Broadway, Maison Mathis also doubles as a lovely breakfast spot, with some phenomenal waffles (they also have a small selection of Belgian beers for those evenings when you want to work in a coffee shop but also plan on sleeping at some point). This is an especially great place to go with family, as their seating set-up is very much geared toward groups—and it might even be an opportunity to sample some of their macaroons or brownies.
Claire’s Take: The best example in town of the great white subway tile. And it’s Belgian! But definitely note their other three locations—Dubai? Bahrain? Ras Al Kahimah? A trip to our very own Maison Mathis is a way to truly connect to the global food scene.
Peter and Ed did not take this one on.
Claire’s Take: If you are or could be the kind of a francophilic coffee drinker who loves coffee experiences that feel like hanging out in your fellow francophile’s dream childhood bedroom and demand that you add pastry to every meal, run do not walk to Marjolaine. The confections can’t be beat, and every seat in the house has a full view of the bakers in the back prep room perfecting their latest masterpiece. At any minute, a roving camera crew could transport you and the whole store into their latest baking competition episode! Plan a coffee date there just so you can strategize which of your upcoming events will require you bring one of their cakes.
Peter did not take this one on.
Ed’s Take: Further down Orange Street than P+M, the lunch selection at Nica’s Market is so renowned in New Haven that the queue for the deli has been known to snake around the entire store. And if you get there at a good time, or have the patience required, you can easily see why. Another fantastic lunch spot with comfortable and shady seating, Nica’s is a perfect place to gather for post-class debriefs throughout the semester.
Claire’s Take: Go when the umbrellas are up and the sun is high. Grab a coffee just because you’re too close to so many delectable Italian pastries to skip one.
Peter did not take this one on.
Ed’s Take: This is something of a hidden gem on the coffee shop front. The Owl Shop is primarily known as the bar where you can smoke and drink scotch—and if you ever want a lounge atmosphere in the late evening at the only Connecticut bar which allows indoor smoking, it’s the perfect place. What’s less well known is that in the early morning, The Owl Shop serves some of the best coffee and tea in New Haven, with the added bonus that it’s more or less the only place in town where you’re guaranteed to get an armchair between 10:00-4:00. The smoke isn’t too bad in the morning/early-afternoon, they have a fantastic selection of paninis on offer, and if you happen to smoke a pipe (as I do) it is probably the most relaxing work spot in New Haven.
Claire’s Take: Coffee would not be my first reason to hang out at the Owl Shop, but hanging out at the Owl Shop is no mistake. No matter what vice you satisfy with your visit, you’ll be accompanied by a band of exciting individuals from New Haven and beyond. On my last trip, I watched a guy be handily escorted out at the beginning of the night only to make room for a table of jovial Catholic priests from Ohio while away the rest of the evening. Come with a friend and a topic in mind, but never fear finding more conversations here. They also sponsor frequent live jazz!
Peter’s Take:A New Haven classic! Willoughby’s was one of New Haven’s first small batch roasteries when it opened in 1985, and it’s still going strong. Like Blue State, Willoughby’s boasts multiple locations around downtown. The School of Architecture location’s proximity to the quiet and unfrequented Architecture Library make it an ideal spot to hide away for a few hours for some much needed paper writing.
Ed did not take on this one.
Claire’s Take: I think this is the best stuff in town. There’s something soothing about it that just feels like it hits all of the best coffee notes – simplicity, taste, buzz. Though I seldom have a whole cup, Willoughby’s has flavors I find hard to resist. I was turned on to it when I discovered that the Yale Rep has regularly occurring Senior Receptions – find a local senior friend! – around weekday performances, where insomnia cookies and Willoughby’s coffee abound. (Note they also have talk backs for all). There are four locations in town, but the Willoughby’s near the School of Architecture helps you imagine you’re in an airport terminal, taking off for some fantastic studious locale. And the lifted Willoughby’s sitting where Whitney crashes into the green is kind of like a trip to some nice friend’s kitchen.
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If this encyclopedic deliberation left you with questions or unmet caffeine desires, hit us up or take to the streets to explore other options and report back! Until then, may you be caffeinated and may you be well.